Aiming a Handgun

When aiming, focus your dominant eye on the front
sight of your gun. The target and the rear sight should be a little bit
blurry because your eye cannot focus on all three simultaneously.
Caution - One of the most common problems among shooters is the failure
to focus on the front sight.

Position the front sight in the notch of the rear
sight. The top of the front sight should be level with the top of the
rear sight and there should be an equal amount of space on either side.

If the front sight has a bead on it, adjust your
sight picture such that the
bead is over the center of your target.

Shooting Guns With Both Eyes Open

Most shooters squint or close one eye when aiming. It
allows them to focus on the front sight better. For defensive shooting it is
recommended that you learn to aim and shoot with both eyes open. That way
you don't restrict your field of vision and you can see more bad guys. See
Gun Aiming Accessories and Gun Sights.

What Is Your Dominant Eye?

When you look at an object your dominant eye is the one
that looks directly at it. Your other eye (or non-dominant eye) looks at the
object at a very slight angle which provides depth perception.

Test for Determining Your Dominant Eye

Make an "O" with your forefinger and thumb.

Pick an object on a wall about 20 feet away.

With both eyes open and your arm fully extended,
visually position the object in the center of the "O" of your fingers.

Close your left eye. If the object remains in the
center of the "O", you are right-eye dominant. If the object moves out
of the "O" then you are left-eye dominant.

When you aim your gun you see a snapshot or pattern of
the orientation of your sights with the target. This is your sight picture.
A correct sight picture is where your sights are properly aimed on the
target and you will hit the bulls eye (unless you
flinch, move or have poor trigger pull).

How Can I Steady My Aim?

With regard to gun sights and targets this movement is
called wobble area. Everyone has it and it varies from day to day. It is
impossible for anyone to hold a gun perfectly steady. There are things that
you can do to minimize wobble area like eating before shooting, avoiding
caffeine before shooting, avoid strenuous exercise immediately before
shooting , try to calm yourself before shooting and practice breath control
during shooting. When aiming, these wobble areas will vary in size and the
target will "float" in and out of the correct sight picture. With practice,
timing and proper trigger control you will be able to anticipate a wobble
and squeeze the trigger at the proper moment.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The information on this web site is not professional
advice, and should not be taken it as such. The information provided is meant to be of a general nature. Consult a
professional for complete and accurate information.